Visit to Todd, North Carolina

Todd, NC

Todd, NC, is a small place on NC Highway 194, about 20 minutes from Boone.
The timber boom in the early 1900s made Todd one of, it not the largest, town in Western North Carolina. It was
served by a branch of the Carolina-Virginia Railway, called the
Virginia Creeper. It had a bank, doctors, churches, several businesses, and everything
else needed for a prosperous community.

By the mid 1930s the timber was gone, the depression was in full swing, and
the railroad was losing money on the route to Todd. The rails to Todd were removed
and the bank was liquidated. This pretty much ended economic activity and the town
mostly went to sleep. The New River flooded in 1940 washing away most of the
buildings that were left in Todd. The town became a virtual ghost town.

It appears that Todd has become a destination for people visiting Western
North Carolina. We saw a number of kayaks being picked up off the New River. The New
River is gentle near Todd and is supposed to provide good fishing.

The Todd General Store and the Todd Mercantile are worth visiting. We had some
great baked goods at the Mercantile and a great lemon cake at the general store.

We enjoyed talking with the owners of the general store and the wonderful
cake and ice cream. Beginning at the end of May, the general store offers dinner and
story telling on Tuesdays, and dinner and local music on Fridays. Check their web
site for more information.

The drive to Todd is very pretty.The countryside is made of of narrow
valleys and hills. There are several small pretty farms.

Highway 194 from Boone is an easy road. If you come in from some other
town, the highway has lots of curves.